WASHINGTON, March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) today welcomed Sharon Arnold, PhD, newly named Acting Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to PCORI's Board of Governors. PCORI also thanked outgoing AHRQ Director Richard Kronick, PhD, for his service as a Board member.

AHRQ's director, or the director's designee, serves as a member of PCORI's Board as stipulated by PCORI's 2010 authorizing law. As announced by U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell in late February, Arnold agreed to take on the acting leadership of AHRQ when Kronick departs later this month. Kronick announced his decision on Feb. 24, to step down as AHRQ director and return to the University of California, San Diego, where he previously served as Professor and Chief of the Division of Health Care Sciences.

Arnold joined AHRQ two years ago as a senior advisor before being named Deputy Director in June 2014. Since then, she has led the effort to develop a dissemination framework through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund, as required by law. Prior to that, she held several positions at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, most recently serving as director of the Payment Policy and Financial Management Group. She also spent six years at AcademyHealth, where she directed the Health Care Financing and Organization Initiative.

"Dr. Arnold's work creating a framework for the dissemination of patient-centered outcomes research findings will bring timely experience to our Board as PCORI enters a period of increasing dissemination of findings in its sixth year," said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH. "We look forward to working with Sharon, whose vast experience will make her a valuable member of our Board."

"Over the last two and a half years, Dr. Kronick has brought valuable insights to our Board," Norquist said. "We have benefited from his patience and commitment as well as his extensive knowledge of evidence-based care. Rick's dedication to increasing access to quality care has enriched PCORI's efforts to help people make informed healthcare decisions. We wish him well in his new endeavors."

About PCORI

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to continuously seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.